Bend stiffeners are typically used at a location where a flexible subsea cable, such as a subsea power cable or submarine telecommunication cable, or an umbilical is received in a rigid or fixed installation. A bend stiffener typically has an elongated conical shape with a cylindrical through-opening for receiving a subsea cable or umbilical, and the base of the bend stiffener is provided with fasteners for attachment of the bend stiffener to the fixed installation.
The bending stiffness of the bend stiffener increases towards the base and shall in this manner prevent a subsea cable or umbilical extending through the bend stiffener from bending below a minimum bending radius. The minimum bending radius is the minimum allowed radius of a subsea cable or umbilical when bent. If a subsea cable or umbilical is curved more than the minimum bending radius, there is a risk that it is damaged or cracked.
For each application the bend stiffener's bending stiffness is calculated based on the desired characteristics in order to protect the subsea cable or umbilical optimally from overbending. It does however not mechanically prevent the subsea cable or umbilical from bending below the minimum bending radius. Especially during offshore handling of a joint between two subsea power cables, bending radii smaller than permitted may occur.